Matthew Santoni of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes:

Officials hope that by providing more detailed driving histories through PennDOT, employers can keep dangerous drivers from getting behind the wheel for work.

The state will now report whether an accident on a driver’s record involved a fatality, at least one injury or damage to property, said PennDOT spokeswoman Danielle Klinger. But because police, not PennDOT, determine fault, it will be up to employers to ask employees or job candidates about citations and violations.

“Even with listing the crash severity, the onus is still on the employer or potential employer to ask questions and follow up,” Klinger said.

Currently, driving records show whether a motorist was involved in a crash, along with any past suspensions or citations.

State Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery County, requested PennDOT make the changes to its reporting system after a fatal accident Feb. 17 involving a Collegeville-area school bus driver, who had obtained a commercial driver’s license and been hired despite a fatal accident on his record from 1999.

Shapiro touted the new policy’s importance to school districts hiring bus drivers, but Klinger said the information would show up on all drivers’ histories.

“I think it’s a small thing but reasonable,” said Mark Lucero, 40, of Shadyside. “If the job is driving related, it could be an important thing.”

James Runk, president of the Pennsylvania Motor Trucking Association, said the information could be helpful to employers but cautioned that it doesn’t clearly define the type of accidents that could go on a driver’s record.

“It could mean a driver is sitting legally at a stop light, and you run into the back of them,” he said.

Scott Ziehler, director of transportation at the Bethel Park School District, said the additional information would be more useful if it indicated who was at fault.

“If they’ve had an accident, generally we see a citation on their record, and that’s enough to disqualify them,” Ziehler said. “Having that more-detailed information wouldn’t be that important to us, especially if it doesn’t show fault.”

Read the full article here.